"You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours,
but even at those odds, you will lose and I will win".
Ho Chi Minh
Domino Theory
On August 2, 1964, North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the USS Maddox which had been patrolling the coast of North Vietnam.
On August 4, 1964, The North Vietnamese feigned another attack.
On August 7, 1964 Congress votes to give President Johnson power to authorize more US forces in to help S. Vietnam.
This is known as the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution".
Go here for the real story about the attacks in August 1964- USS Maddox
The Vietnam War (in a nutshell) 1964-1973
Nationalist (later communist) Ho Chi Minh fought for Vietnamese independence from France after WW2.
Vietnam splits into North Vietnam (communist) and South Vietnam (pro-democracy)
Communist North Vietnam influences South Vietnam trying to unify both under communism. The North sent weapons, food and supplies down to S. Vietnam on the "Ho Chi Minh" trail. (Really a series of small dirt paths through the jungle)
The communists living in South Vietnam were called the Vietcong (VC or Charlie). They were often farmers by day, communist fighters by night
The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) also came into South Vietnam to fight with the VC against US and South Vietnamese forces
The US becomes very active in Vietnam after the "Gulf of Tonkin" incident in 1964. US soldiers land in Vietnam to fight along side the South Vietnamese in 1965.
Fighting is generally on a small scale with the VC using "hit and run" tactics, booby traps, punji traps, etc.
1968 is the turning point of the war as the war become progressively unpopular at home and the body count mounts.
The US never loses a major battle in the Vietnam War, but the American public lost the will to fight
Last US forces pull out in 1973. North Vietnam overruns the south in 1975 "unifying" Vietnam as a communist country.
Vietcong ("VC") punji traps
Click on this link to learn more about our adversaries in Vietnam. Scroll down to listen to what an AK-47 being fired sounds like. Donut Dollies of Vietnam
"Hanoi Jane"
Actress Jane Fonda visiting NVA sites in Hanoi above and broadcasting to American soldiers from Hanoi asking them to stop the bombing in North Vietnam. Jane Fonda's Visit to North Vietnam 1972
"Buo Doi" or "The Dust of Life"
They're called Bui-Doi.
The dust of life.
Conceived in Hell,
And born in strife.
They are the living reminder of all the good we failed to do.
We can't forget
Must not forget
That they are all our children, too.
Like all survivors I once thought
When Im home I wont give a damn
But now I know Im caught, Ill never leave Vietnam
War isnt over when it ends, some pictures never leave your mind.
They are the faces of the children the ones we left behind
Theyre called Bui-doi.
The dust of life, conceived in hell and born in strife
They are the living reminders of all the good we failed to do
Thats why we know deep in our hearts, that they are all ourchildren too
These kids hit walls on every side, they dont belong in anyplace.
Their secret they cant hide its printed on their face.
I never thought one day Id plead
For half-breeds from a land thats torn
But then I saw a camp for children whose crime was being born
Theyre called Bui-Doi, the dust of life conceived in hell andborn in strife.
We owe them fathers and a family a loving home they never knew.
Because we know deep in our hearts that they are all our childrentoo.
These are souls in need, they need us to give
Someone has to pay for their chance to live
Help me try
They're called Bui-Doi.
The dust of life.
Conceived in Hell,
And born in strife.
They are the living reminders of all the good we failed to do.
That's why we know
That's why we know
Deep in our hearts
Deep in our hearts
That's why we know
That they are all our children, too.
"You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours,
but even at those odds, you will lose and I will win".
Ho Chi Minh
On August 2, 1964, North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the USS Maddox which had been patrolling the coast of North Vietnam.
On August 4, 1964, The North Vietnamese feigned another attack.
On August 7, 1964 Congress votes to give President Johnson power to authorize more US forces in to help S. Vietnam.
This is known as the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution".
Go here for the real story about the attacks in August 1964- USS Maddox
The Vietnam War (in a nutshell) 1964-1973
Vietcong ("VC") punji traps
Click on this link to learn more about our adversaries in Vietnam. Scroll down to listen to what an AK-47 being fired sounds like.
Donut Dollies of Vietnam
The photo that changed the war
Jeremiah Denton blinks morse code for "t o r t u r e" while being used for communist propaganda
Read more about American hero, Denton here:
Jeremiah Denton
Hanoi Hilton "Ropes Torture"
Results of Agent Orange found on Google Images
"Hanoi Jane"
Actress Jane Fonda visiting NVA sites in Hanoi above and broadcasting to American soldiers from Hanoi asking them to stop the bombing in North Vietnam. Jane Fonda's Visit to North Vietnam 1972
The photo above is Huey gunship pilot Walter Stewart (Mr. J's second cousin)
Mrs. Henning's Brother In Law
How the draft lottery worked in the Vietnam period
Click on the photo to read about the Kent State Shootings in May 1970
The remains of a US veteran are found in Vietnam.
The largest party ever held at the White House!
"Buo Doi" or "The Dust of Life"
They're called Bui-Doi.
The dust of life.
Conceived in Hell,
And born in strife.
They are the living reminder of all the good we failed to do.
We can't forget
Must not forget
That they are all our children, too.
Like all survivors I once thought
When Im home I wont give a damn
But now I know Im caught, Ill never leave Vietnam
War isnt over when it ends, some pictures never leave your mind.
They are the faces of the children the ones we left behind
Theyre called Bui-doi.
The dust of life, conceived in hell and born in strife
They are the living reminders of all the good we failed to do
Thats why we know deep in our hearts, that they are all ourchildren too
These kids hit walls on every side, they dont belong in anyplace.
Their secret they cant hide its printed on their face.
I never thought one day Id plead
For half-breeds from a land thats torn
But then I saw a camp for children whose crime was being born
Theyre called Bui-Doi, the dust of life conceived in hell andborn in strife.
We owe them fathers and a family a loving home they never knew.
Because we know deep in our hearts that they are all our childrentoo.
These are souls in need, they need us to give
Someone has to pay for their chance to live
Help me try
They're called Bui-Doi.
The dust of life.
Conceived in Hell,
And born in strife.
They are the living reminders of all the good we failed to do.
That's why we know
That's why we know
Deep in our hearts
Deep in our hearts
That's why we know
That they are all our children, too.